Merhaba! I´m looking for turkish summer courses in Istanbul and i found many summer programs/schools , but it´s really difficult to choose. Has anyone ever done this and probably can help too? Really stuck and don´t know which one to choose! Thanks!

Hi Elena, I´ve completed 2 intermediate level intensive courses with the Dilmer School in Istanbul ( Level 3 & 4). The course was for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Dilmer has some very good teachers, but I also experienced 1 lazy teacher, luckily only for a few lessons as a relief teacher for my normal teacher. People who I´ve spoken to who have attended both courses say that Dilmer has a faster learning rate. The courses are taught in Turkish, with a combination of speaking & listening skills, new grammar, and lots of participation using examples provided by the teachers and students. There is a written and oral exam before the course starts to choose a suitable level of Turkish, but some students advance to higher classes in the first few days when the teacher can further assess their level of understanding. I think the maximum class size is 12 students, and generally you will find Russian, German and English speaking students in the classes. The textbooks sold for the course are generally followed, but not all pages are completed.

I suggest you try and learn some basic Turkish before you start any course, as this will be very helpful later on whilst doing the course. You should try to be able to explain a little about yourself in Turkish, as this will be requested in the class introductions.

eg Adım Henry, Avustralyalıyım, elli yaşındayım. Evliyim ve üç çocuğum var. 

Niçin Türkçe öğreniyorsunuz? (Why are you learning Turkish?)

Another question you will be asked

If you can organise your accommodation to be near the school (walking distance) I also found this helpful.

Some of my class mates had taken 3 consecutive classes and their fluency and understanding was good, so the school must be doing things right.

Good luck with whichever school you decide upon, and I was certainly satisfied with the Dilmer School

thanks! that was very helpful. I´m in a2 level so i know basic things. What about the accommodation? where did you choose to stay?

That´s great that you have a basic knowledge of Turkish. The Dilmer School is located just off Inönü Caddesi, which is a main road heading down the hill from Taksim Square, going towards Kabataş

Link to Dilmer address

I stayed in a small apartment about 15-20 minutes walking distance to the school, and took the morning lesson option 0900-12:50. 

I booked accommodation through the Wimdu web-site, but you can also deal direct with the same people at Cozy istanbul

I found living in a small apartment for 1 month was much cheaper than a Hotel, and there were supermarkets nearby to buy food for breakfast and other meals. If you plan to go in the summer months then it is best to book your accommodation as early as possible. 

You can buy your textbooks from the office at the school, and the classes begin at the start of each calendar month, unless there is a holiday. Generally you can do their placement exam (question & multiple choice answers) followed by a quick oral interview in the weekend before or the Monday at the start of the month. The exam slowly progresses from easy questions for beginners, to intermediate and then advanced level, but you can stop answering once the questions become too hard. If you get most questions right in a section, then you would be considered to be above that level.

There was always a good mix of different nationalities amongst the students, and the chance to make new friends.

thank you very much! i´m a little bit anxious about accommodation since i don´t know which area of istanbul is suitable for a girl living all alone , but i guess i´ll find out! thanks anyway!

About half the girls I met on the course were single, but the majority were married to Turks. None of the single girls ever mentioned feeling uneasy walking around Istanbul. If you dress to blend in with other women, and avoid smiling at Turkish males, you probably won´t even be spoken to. All the main roads around the Taksim area are busy from 7 in the morning till 11 at night, and there´s always lots of pedestrian traffic. The public transport system is also easy to use, and definitely buy yourself an Istanbul Card, which can be used for buses, trams, trains & ferries, and also for some toilets in the tourist areas. 

Half the girls were single... the majority was married... this is scientifically not possible Henry.

Thanks Henry!